Sound modifier for stringed instruments



sept, 3o, 1924. 1,510,019

H. H. SLINGERLAND SOUND MODIFIER FOR STR'INGED INSTRUMENTS Filed Nov. 9, 1921.

l1` 0 l .Y n y d 1 f gm.. a 11 fr" Patented Sept. 30, 1924.

UNITED STATES HENRY HQSLINGERLAND, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SOUND MODIFIER FOR STRINGED INS'J'.IEtUIlVlIE1\TTS.y

Application filed November 9, 1.921. Serial No. 513,905.

T0 all cri/1,0m` 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, HENRY il. SLINGER- LAND, a citizen of the United States, residingrat Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement inv a Sound Modifier for Stringed Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to a structure for modifying the tone of stringed musical instruments wherein the vibrations of the strings are communicated to a vibratile member through the instrumentality of an interposed bridge.

The special object of my invention is to provide an added resonant element, or elements, which will be set in vibration by the vibration of the strings and their said supporting vibratile element through the wellknown principles of resonance and consonance, and also relates to means for setting free the sounds that have thus been augmented and modified.

My present invention is an extension of the principles employed in my previous invention set forth in the application tiled by me September 2, 1921, Serial. Number 497,845, for stringed musical instruments, and7 as will be seen, embodies a simplified construction operating in a different manner (and producing sounds ydiffering in volume andy qualit-y). I prefer to attain the objects of my present invention by the means and in the manner hereinafter described, and as more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings thatv form a part of this specification, in whichf Figure 1 is a fragmental side elevation of the body end of a banjo in which my invention is embodied, a. portion of the side of the head being broken away to show the interior arrangement.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmental sectional detail of the struct-ure shown in Fig. 1.

In the drawings, I have employed similar reference characters to designate like partsl throughout the several views.

I have shown my invention in combination with a typical banjo structure consisting of a body portion comprising a cylindrical wall 5 provided around 'its exterior with brackets 6 of L-shape coacting with the lateral arms which are hooked, or J-shaped clamping rods 7, the hooked ends of which engage an annular ygroove 8 in a collar 9 which is proportioned with a slightly larger interior diameter than the exterior diameter of cylindrical wall 5. The cylindrical wall 5 preferably carries upon the top thereof a metal ring 10 of circular section, and across this metal ring is disposed a membrane 11 of sheepskin, or the like, the peripheral edge of which is carried around another metal ring 12 which is of sufficient diameter to surround cylindrical wall 5. The collar 9 encloses the folded portion of the edge of membrane 11 between itself and wall 5, and is drawn down by clamping rods 7 to tightly stretch membrane 11 across the end of cylindrical wall 5. The typical banjo also has a neck 13 extending radially from cylindrical wall 5 and diametrically opposite to the location of the neck is secured a tail-piece 141 to which are attached strings 15 extending from the tail-piece to the outer end of the neck where they are appropriately secured.

Supported upon the tightly stretched membrane 11 is a bridge 16- which serves to hold the strings in'desired relation with the membrane and neck, and to impart through the material of the bridge the vibrations of the strings directly to the tightly stretched membrane 11. In the ordinary banjo the end of the'cylindrical wall 5 opposite that across which membrane 11 is stretched is entirely open and unobstructed, and the sounds which emanate from the under face of the membrane proceed without modification. In my present design, I have located a resonating member or sounding board 17 adjacent the usual open end of cylindrical' wall 5 where it will be in position to receive and be set in motion by the vibrations of the air emanating from membrane 11. This resonating member or sounding board 17 is preferably of concavo-convex section arranged rwith its convex side bulging in or extending towards membrane head 11 at the opposite end of the cylindrical body wall and these elements, i. e., membrane head 11, cylindrical body wall 5 and the resonator or sounding board 17 provide a resonating or sounding chamber the opposite walls or ends whereof are of a vibratory character, whereby the sounds produced by strings 15, and transmitted to this chamber through the intermediary of the bridge and membrane, are augmented and modified in tone. In order to liberate these sounds so that they may be crier emanated to the'audience, I have proif'ided a plurality of apertures 18 in the cylindrical body Wall 5 between resonating member 1T and membrane 11. If desired, the sounding board 17 may be provided with apertures 17*L through Which the air ailected by both the vibrations from .the membrane and the sounding` board may pass out oit the resonating chamber. I have shown the usual open end ot cylindrical Wall 5 closed by a coverpiece 19, but this is main-ly for the purpose of protecting resonating member 17 and lio-r excluding dust and m-oisture from the in terior ot' the instrument. For convenience in manufacture and assembly, I prefer to make cover 19 of concavo-convex shape, the curvature thereof correspond-ing with the curvature et sounding board 17 so that they may both be fabricated with the same die, but for obvious reasons the cover piece is made oi' heavier material than the sounding` board, and when the latter is aperturech I provided a plurality ot apertures 19@ in the cover-piece to permit of the liberation oli the augmented and modified tones. For the purpose oi directing the tones towards the audience, I have connected the inner curved end of a sound-tube 2O around one of apertures 172L in the sounding board, ivhile the opposite end or the tube, after passing through cylindrical body Wall 5 oblique to the line of the strings, is curved in the opposite direct-ion and formed into the bell oit a horn 2 1 that is located alongside the neck 13 adjacent its juncture With the cylindrical body Wall 5.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection With the drawings, it will be perceived that I have provided an extremely simple sound modifying device in instruments of the kind described, which Will produce consonant over-tones and thereby modify and greatly siveeten the tone of the instrument. It Will also be understood that, While I have herein disclosed a single embodiment of my invention, the structure is capable of modification or refinement, and I desire it understood that such changes are fully contemplated by me as coming,` Within the scope of the appended claims.

lWhat I claim is 1. A, stringed instrument comprising a body Wall, resonating elements at opposite ends thereof, one of said elements beingin a plane directly below the instrument strings and directly receives the vibrations thereof and the other elementbeing apertured to liberate the sound Waves Within` said body Wall, and a horn the entrance tov which is connected to the last mentioned resonating element in registry with and surrounding an aperture therein and said horn extending through said body Wall and terminating outside the betorementioned structure adjacent the neck.

rIihe combination With a banjo, of" a closure tor the portion o'l the body opposite the strings; said structure comprising a pair of concave-convenr dislrs disposed with their concave faces 'towards each other, the im r disk being centrally apertured; and a ho n the entrance to which engages- With and surrounds said aperture and the body thereof' extends outside the side Wall ot the banjo and Herod outside said Wall.

The combination With a banjo, of' a structure Closing the portion of the body opposite the strings 5l said structure comprising tivo concave-convex disks arranged iul superposed relation With their concave portions facing each other;` said disks being` apertured and the inner dish providing a resonator opposite the head oi said banjo whereby the sound vibrations oit the banjo head are augmented and modiiied by Said resonator disk, and a horn secured tol the inner disk at an aperture therein and. eX- tending` through the body of said banjo.

Signed at Chicago, countyE of @ook and State of Illinois, this 1th day of November, 1921.

HENRY H. SLINGERLAND,

lWitnesses HARLEY D. JARES, SAMUEL E. MILLER. 

